Dispensing container



1966 R. M. LEEDY 3,269,528

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Aug. 24, 1964 INVENTOR. ROBE/PT M LEEDV ATTOE/VE) 3,269,528 Ice Patented August 30, 1966 3,269,528 DISPENSING CONTAINER Robert M. Leedy, Short Hills, N .J assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Leedy 8: Company, lino, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 391,616 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-1) The present invention relates to dispensing containers and more especially to a container for dispensing metallic devices such as paper clips, hairpins, nails and the like, which are readily magnetizable.

Magnetic dispensing containers have long been knownto the art but these have been subject to certain disadvantages. The most significant of these has heretofore resided in the fact that self-magnetism caused the articles to cling to each other in a bunch or chain requiring the user to utilize both hands so as to remove only one article at a time and to reinsert the remainder back into the container. In an effort to overcome this self-magnetism effect resort has been made to the provision of restrainers in the form of springs or clips so as to apply suificient force to succeeding articles that only one at a time are removed or the openings in such containers are made but slightly larger than the article to restrict dispensing thereof to one at a time through such opening.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a dispensing container wherein a magnetic constitutes an integral part thereof and in which the inner surface of such container is give-n a definite curvature to so restrict the magnetic field that only one article at a time is readily dispensed therefrom.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a dispensing container utilizing a magnet to restrain the inadvertent removal of articles therefrom even when such container is inverted and wherein such articles are nevertheless readily dispensed one at a time regardless of a relatively large container opening.

The foregoing objects together with others which will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art as the following description proceeds are achieved in accordance with the present invention by the provision of a dispensing container wherein a permanent magnet in the form of a ring provided with an opening forms the top part of such container. Below such magnet and flaring downwardly in a direction away from the opening therein the container is provided with a frusto-conical surface having a predetermined curvature. This curvature is related to the magnetic field in such a way as to impart to the articles contacting the container surface, resulting forces acting on such articles so as to restrain the latter to such an extent that only one article at a time is readily dispensed from the container.

The present invention may be more fully appreciated by reference to the accompany drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing container in accordance with the present invention for dispensing articles therein shown as paper clips,

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the dispensing container shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration in cross-section of the permanent magnet and inner wall portion of such container.

Referring now to the drawing in detail the form of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a closed cylindrical container 5 which may be formed of heavy cardboard, plastic, wood or other suitable material, with the surface thereof coated in any suitable manner to provide a desired color or other finish, and having an opening 6 in the top of sufiicient size as to readily enable withdrawal of articles therefrom. As can be seen more readily in FIG. 2, the cylindrical container 5 is provided at the top thereof with a ring-shaped magnet 7 which may be of any well-known type, such as powdered alnico, a battery-operated and switch-controlled electromagnet, but is preferably a permanent magnet of the ferrite type. As shown particularly in FIG. 2, the upper part of the container 5 telescopically engages the lower portion so that the container can be readily opened for filling with desired articles, such as paper clips shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1. However, such container can be just as readily made as a single unit with an opening at the bottom for filling, if desired. Immediately below the ring-shaped magnet 7 the interior of the container 5 is provided with an inert 9 or the like, of plastic, wood or other suitable material having a relatively smooth surface 10 to reduce the coefiicient of friction, and having an opening contiguous with the opening 6 in the magnet 5. The insertsurface l0, as seen in FIG. 2, is of frusto-conical configuration which fiares downwardly in a direct-ion away from the opening 6 to provide a relatively smooth surface having a predetermined curvature. This curvature of the interior surface 10 is of importance since it directs the movement of the articles 8 within the container 5 toward the opening 6 by the influence imultaneously exerted upon such articles by the force of the magnetic field generated by the magnet 7 and the restraining force of gravity.

This may be better appreciated by reference now more particularly to FIG. 3 wherein the magnet 7 is shown in cross-section but with each peripheral area separated for explanatory reasons. The left hand area presupposes that radial magnetization of the ring-like permanent magnet is present as shown by its N and S poles whereas the right hand area assumes axial magnetization. However, for all practical purposes so far as the present invention is concerned either magnetization may be used provided in either instance the lines of force of the magnetic field cross the curved surface 10 of the container 9 at a predetermined angle, as seen in FIG. 3.

Such angle in each instance must be less than minus the angle whose tangent is the ooefficient of friction by an amount sufficient to overcome the effects of the force of gravity. Consequently, for a minimum value of friction, the tangent would approximate 12 thus making the angle between the curved surface 10 and the crossing magnetic lines of force less than 78 and preferably nearer 40 to 50 to give enough excess magnetic attraction to overcome gravity. The tangential component of the magnetic field should increase to a maximum value at the opening 6 to hold the articles against the force of gravity at its maximum.

It should thus become obvious to those skilled in the art from the foregoing that a dispensing container is herein provided in which a permanent magnet is employed as an integral part thereof for restraining the inadvertent dislodgment of magnetizable articles therefrom. However, whenever desired such articles are readily removable one at a time from such container with self-magnetization which would otherwise cause clinging together of such articles being depressed or nullified by the inner surface of the container with its predetermined curvature. Also it should be equally apparent that the dispensing container of the present invention can be readily formed in other shapes and sizes and may be made a part of other tools or devices as dictated by the particular type of magnetizable articles to be dispensed, which need not necessarily be paper clips as shown but can just as readily be nails, screws, hairpins, ball-bearings or any other magnetizable articles.

Although one specific embodiment of the present invention has been herein shown and described it is to be understood that further modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims:

3 Iclaim: 1. A dispensing container for magnetizable articles comprising:

(a) a hollow container for enclosing magnetizable articles and provided with an opening therein,

(b) a magnet forming a part of said container and disposed adjacent the opening therein,

(c) and said container having an inner surface of predetermined curvature in a direction away from said opening to cause the lines of force from said magnet tocross said curved surface at a desired angle for controlling the relation between the force of gravity and the strength of the magnetic field to allow individual dispensing of said magnetizable articles from said container.

2. A dispensing container for magnetizable articles comprising:

(a) a hollow container for enclosing magnetizable articles provided with a top having an opening therein somewhat larger than the articles to be dispensed,

(b) a magnet forming an integral part of said container and disposed adjacent the opening therein,

(c) and said container having an inner surface of predetermined cur-vat ure in a direction away from the opening in the top of said container to cause the magnetic lines of force from said magnet to cross said curved surface at a desired angle for controlling the relation between the force of gravity as determined by the coefiicient of friction of said article on said curved surface and the strength of the magnetic field to allow individual dispensing of said magnetizable articles from said container.

3. A dispensing container for magnetizable articles comprising:

(a) a hollow container for enclosing magnetizable articles provided with a top having an opening therein somewhat larger than the articles to be dispensed,

('b) a permanent magnet forming an integral part of said container and disposed adjacent the opening therein,

(c) and said container having an inner surface of a predetermined radius of curvature to cause the magnetic lines of force from said magnet to cross said surface at an angle less than minus the angle Whose tangent is the coefiicient of friction between the article and the curved surface for controlling the relation between the force of gravity and the strength of said magnetic field to allow individual dispensing of said magnetizable articles from said container.

4. A dispensing container for magnetizable articles comprising:

(a) a hollow container for enclosing magnetizable articles provided with a top having an opening therein somewhat larger than the articles to be dispensed,

(b) a permanent ring shaped magnet forming an integral part of said container and disposed adjacent the opening therein,

(c) and said container having an inner surface of a predetermined radius of curvature to cause the magnetic lines of force from said magnet to cross said surface at an angle less than 90 minus the angle whose tangent is the coefficient of friction between the article and the curved surface for directing such articles to lie with their major axes substantially parallel to each other and to approach the opening in said container in such relationship to facilitate individual removal of the articles through such opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,848,006 8/1958 Simpson.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

M. L. RICE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR MAGNETIZABLE ARTICLES COMPRISING: (A) A HOLLOW CONTAINER FOR ENCLOSING MAGNETIZABLE ARTICLES AND PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING THEREIN, (B) A MAGNET FORMING A PART OF SAID CONTAINER AND DISPOSED ADJACENT THE OPENING THEREIN, (C) AND SAID CONTAINER HAVING AN INNER SURFACE OF PREDETERMINED CURVATURE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID OPENING TO CAUSE THE LINES OF FORCE FROM SAID MAGNET TO CROSS SAID CURVED SURFACE AT A DESIRED ANGLE FOR CONTROLLING THE RELATION BETWEEN THE FORCE OF GRAVITY AND THE STRENGTH OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD TO ALLOW INDIVIDUAL DISPENSING OF SAID MAGNETIZABLE ARTICLES FROM SAID CONTAINER. 